THE concluding event of the indoor season for president Pat Cole was to host the finals of the Dorset County Ladies’ competitions at her home club Bridport.

The first player to get their name on a trophy was Fran Dyer of Dorchester, who won the Filly Cup, and the weekend finished when Kath Desmond and her long-standing Moonfleet 2000 partner Barry Patterson took the mixed pairs title.

For Cole it was the finale to a great season at the helm, which saw her county team gain a grand slam championship win in the South West Counties League, a quarter-final appearance for the Atherley team, five Dorset players gaining international trials, one national Senior Pairs Championship, and runners-up in two more national competitions.

For former president and long serving officer Hilda Stokes, of Moonfleet, it was her swansong as competitions secretary, having announced that she will be standing down after 18 years in charge.

Staged at the county’s most wes-terly club, the finals predominantly involved bowlers from the other end of Dorset, who provided no less than 23 of the 34 who qualified for the six major titles available.

Two championships went to Dolphin while East Dorset, Bourne-mouth, Dorchester and Moonfleet each won one, in a weekend of quality bowls tinged with the right blend of drama and dominance.

The blue ribbon event – the singles – was a re-run of last year’s final with Penny Cresswell of Dolphin defending her title against Bourne-mouth’s Joan Halliwell.

And she did so successfully, recording a 21-12 victory to retain the crown.

The Filly Cup was fought out between Dyer and Iris Rumbold from Dolphin, who was making a second attempt to win the event she has unsuccessfully strived for over several seasons.

Dyer held sway in 12 of the 17 ends played, and the county town player kept the pressure on her opponent with a near perfect display to earn a well deserved 21-7 victory.

The pairs’ final saw Jean Arnaud and Halliwell from Bournemouth line-up together for the first time since winning the national over-60s pairs title at Nottingham earlier this month.

Their opponents from Dolphin were fellow county players Val Baxter and Lyn Howard.

In a game which produced some excellent bowls, the Bournemouth duo eased home with a somewhat flattering score of 22-5.

It was left to the two-wood triples finalists to produce the most dramatic action of the day, as Jan Johnson, Jenny Wilson and skip Janet Emer-son (East Dorset) took on Sally Rowe, Pam Smith and Sandi Smith (Dolphin).

The tie was level at 14 apiece with just one end remaining, before a single on the last handed the trophy to Dolphin.

The double rink knockout cup final was an east versus west affair with president Cole hoping for a good result for her Bridport team.

Melanie Watts, Pat Cornick, Sue Walsh and skip Annie Legg were up against East Dorset’s Jean Beedie, Glenda Price, Carole Clarke and Val Farrant.

Farrant and co were first to impress and led comfortably at 10-2 before Bridport made an impressive comeback to level on the penultimate end at 13-13.

East Dorset fought back on the last and secured a two-shot advantage.

Unfortunately for Bridport the outcome of the overall result was not in doubt due to a massive 28-10 win by East Dorset’s companion rink of Janet Holloway, Elizabeth Messer, Janet Emerson and skip Wendy Brown.

The gallant quartet from Bridport – Millie Meech, Edna Cumberland, Margaret Clapp and skip Barbara Iverson – were only 12-8 adrift at 12 ends but were overwhelmed on the run-in, leaving East Dorset clear winners with an aggregate 43-23 score.

The last of the finals involved another east versus west encounter with Desmond and Patterson facing last year’s winners Julie Hudson and Chris Daniels of Bournemouth.

Patterson and Desmond have bowled regularly together for 21 years and have achieved an enviable record of successes at all levels of the sport.

And their experience proved pivotal as they stormed home 25-10.